Retired Brig. Gen. Margaret A. Brewer died January 2 at the age of 82. Brewer became the first female general officer in the Marine Corps in 1978.
According to Brewer's official Marine Corps biography, she served at Camp Pendleton from 1959 to 1963 before being promoted and sent to Quantico to serve as executive officer (and later as commanding officer) of the Woman Officer School.
Brewer was awarded the Legion of Merit twice by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The first time was on June 30, 1977, for meritorious service as the Director of Women Marines. She received her second Legion of Merit when she retired on July 1, 1980.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos said in a statement released upon Brewer's death:
“She served during an era when many thought that women had no place in the Corps but she proved critics wrong time and again."
Brewer lived the remainder of her live in Arlington, Virginia. In 2009, she sat down for an interview with Washington D.C. television station WJLA-TV for a piece about working women. You can watch that video by clicking here.
